Plate setting means for rotary printing presses



PLATE SETTING MEANS FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES July 3, 1934. R, BROWN1,965,216

PLATE SETTING MEANS FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 21, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 2 by 210111, 26H5, l/wyf-JM muys, 1934. R.A.BRQWN 1,965,216

PLATE SETTING MEANS FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 2l, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 3 fr? GDF l l /l I\` arg1 Ely 51W, fwf, @wwwa/Hwy;

Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLATE SETTING MEANSFOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Robert A. Brown, Nashua, N. H., assignor toNashua Gummed and Coated Paper Company, Nashua, N. H., a corporation ofMassachusetts My present invention relates to rotary printing presses,and-particularly multicolor presses, and aims to provide simplified andotherwise improved means for facilitating accurate setting andregistration of the plates upon the plate cylinders of such presses. l

In the drawings illustrating by way of example one embodiment of theinvention,

Fig. 1 is a plan of a portion of a press, including two plate cylinders,having applied thereto one form of device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section, on a larger scale, taken as upon the line 2-2of Figpl;

Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of the gauge posiscale;

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a plan and a front elevation, on thescale of Fig. 3, of the graduated registering device of Fig. 1 and itspositioning means;

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively transverse and longitudinal verticalsections centrally through one of the end supports or positioning feetfor the gauge or registering device; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a front elevation and a vertical section,on a large scale, of an adjustable index for the gauge.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the pertinent parts of a rotary printingpress, which may be of any known or preferred type, are shown sufcientlyto afford an understanding of my present invention. Two plate cylinders10, 10 are seen, each having the usual bearers 11 at its ends. Theseplate cylinders are rotatably supported on the press frames 12, 12 insuitable bearings including the lower bearings 13, Fig. 2, and theremovable bearing caps 14.

In Fig. 1, one of the color plates, of -which a series is to be appliedto each plate cylinder 10, is indicated at l5. It is important,particularly in connection with multicolor printing, that the individualplates 15, of two or more plate cylinders shall be in accurate registry,both transversely or circumferentially of the cylinders, and alsolongitudinally or axially of the cylinders. While my invention issusceptible of use in connection with circumferential registering means,the mechanism here shown is more particularly concerned with affordingready' and accurate 50 axial registration of the plates, lengthwise thecylinders.

Each color plate is provided with one or more, and preferably two,setting marks, as indicated at 16, 16 on the plate shown in Fig. 1.Heretofore 55 the usual practice has been to assemble the plates tioningmeans seen in-Fig. 2, ona still larger of onecolor 'upony thefrst orother cylinder.

Measurements are then made, from one of the cylinder bearers or fromsome mark on the cylinder, and the plates of the other colors areattempted to be placed on their respective cylinders in accordance withsuch measurements. Such procedure is difficult and slow. Frequently theplates are found to be out of register on succeeding cylinders, theinaccuracy becoming apparent on the printed proofs, in the failure ofsucceeding colors to match up. Correction must be made by shifting theplates, following a trial and error method, often necessitating therunning of numerous proofs until the error is finally overcome.Considerable time, and also paper, are thus wasted in adjusting theplates and running proofs, during which time the press is notproductive.

By the means of my invention, the printing plates may be positioned inaccurate registration axially of the cylinders, Without the necessity oftaking proofs or of shifting the plates once they have been set on thecylinders.

Referring still to Fig. 1, and as also seen in detail in Figs. 4 and 5,I provide a registration device, illustrated in the form of an elongatedmember, gauge or setting element 17, adapted to extend the full lengthof the plate-receiving portion of any of the several cylinders 10. Whilesuch element may be variously constructed, it is preferably of arelatively light weight material not subject to length variations, and Ihave herein shown for the purpose a sheet metal strip, in this instancea flexible metallic tape, preferably of steel, in connection with whichI have supplied means for quickly and easily positioning and removing itwith respect to any given plate cylinder.

Said gauge 17 accordingly is equipped with end supports or positioningfeet, for mounting and demounting it with respect tothe press cylinders.Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3, 6 and 7, each such endsupport comprises a base or shoe 18 having a concave under face 19, inconformity with the curvature of the cylinders. On the central portionof the shoe 18 is a gauge-receiving part or boss 20, desirably having aninclined upper face substantially as shown. One end portion of the gauge17 is adapted to be clamped between said boss 20 on the shoe-,18 and thefinger piece or clamp 21, the under face lof which conforms to the boss20. If the clamping faces are inclined, as shown, one edge of the gaugeis thereby brought down close to a plate to be registered, and the gaugethus tilted is presented in easily read position.

f `passage of the screw. The

The base and clamping parts 18 and 21 of each end support are releasablyheld in clamping position as by means of a screw 22 extending centrallydownward through the clamp 21 and threaded into a bore 23 in the base18, the gauge or tape being correspondingly apertured for the upper andlower portions of the end supports, and the gauge, may further be heldagainst relative movement as by one or more pins 24, 24 anchored in onepart, herein the base 18, and projecting through holes in the gaugeprovided for the purpose, into receiving recesses in the other part, Thetop member or clamp 21 is preferably of a form conveniently grasped, asa finger piece, in -manipulating moval of the gauge with respect to thecylinders,

the gauge, as with the flanged or headed con-` struction substantiallyas shown.

The described end supports or` positioning feet, and their receivingformations to be referred to, adapt the gauge or tape 17 for mountingalong and directly opposite the plate-receiving surface of any platecylinder, in the direction of the cylinder axes, and at the desiredpoint circumferentially of the cylinders. For so positioning the gaugesupports I provide receivingformations, at or near the cylinder ends andconcentric with the cylinder axes.` `Said formations may be variouslyconstructed and arranged, and I have herein illustrated but oneconvenient construction, in thisinstance applied to the cylinder bear- Ipreferably provide expansible tensioning means intermediate the two endsupports, tending to c Adraw the latter toward each other andto holdthem frictionally in given position intheir guides, while at the sametime holding taut the gauge,

' where the latter is a flexible element, but permittion.` With thedescribed adjacent the ends of the respective cylinders.

As best seen inFigs. 2 to 5, butgappearing also in Fig. 1, ring elements25 are detachably secured against the inner end faces of the cylinderbearings. Said elements may extend about the entire or any desiredpartof the periphery of the cylinders, pluralityof sections, hereinfour. Each ring element, or each section thereof, `is lformed with areceiving formation, herein an arcuate groove `26 in its outer face,between the guide walls 27, 2'7.`

The bottom face of the groove thas a curvature conforming it to thecylinders and to the under faces 19 of the gauge-supporting sh'oes 18.Said rings or guides 25, whether of one piece or of sectionalconstruction, may be attached in any suitable manner, as by means of thescrews 28,

Figs. 2 and 3, extending through their inner portions and threaded intothe adjacent end faces of the respective cylinder bearings. Thereceiving formations 26 are proportioned to receive and hold the gaugeshoes or supports 18 at different points `about the cylinders,` tolocate the gauge or tape 1'7 in the desired operativei positionlengthwise the cylinders. i v

The gauge ortape 17 desirably bears a graduated scale 17", marked in anysuitable linear units, and extending the full length of theplate-receiving portion of a cylinder. Cooperating with the `gauge arealso one or more indexes or adjustable `markers `30, two of whichareseen at the lower portion of Fig. 1. Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, eachsuch index completely across the gauge, to or close to the reading edgeof the latter, and having on its upper face a registration line 33,Figs. 1 and 4. The gauge, when of the strip or tape form as shown, isreceived flatwise between the upper and lower parts of the index andthereby supports the latter. `In its unclamped position, each index maybe slid along, or removed from and variouslypoand are here illustratedas made up of a` line circumferentially ting it to be slackened formounting or removal. Accordingly I have here shown the gauge as formedintwo sections, `includ-ing the main or scale-bearing section and` arelatively shortend section 17h. Between the two sections is a coilspring 36 having its ends secured to the adjacent ends of the two gaugesections, tending to draw the latter together and tighten or hold thegauge securely in operative but readily removable posiconstruction itwillb'e noted that the gauge, whether flexible orrigid, may beaccurately positioned' at one end, relative to a plate setting mark 16,and then mounted in desired operative position, by ing effect `of thetensioning reason of the clampdevice or spring 36,

without necessitating positive locking of the sec-A ond end in somefixed or predeterminedly located holder. The general ease ofmanipulation of the gauge in quickly mounting it or transferringit fromone cylinder to another, is thus substantially improved.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings itwill be understood that in the use of the gauge a plate or the entireseries of plates is first applied to one cylinder. The registering gaugeor tape 17 'is mounted in operative relation to that cylinder, in theproper. of the latter to bring the graduated edge of the gauge above theregistration mark or marks of a plate, such as indicated at 16, 16 inFig. 1. An index or marker 30 is then applied to or moved along thegauge and fixed thereon with its index line 33 directly opposite and inaccurate registry with one of the plate registration marks 16, andanother index orr marker 30 may similarly be registered with the secondor other mark 16, where a plurality of marks is used. If a series or rowof plates is to be used, each plate of a row may have its registrationmark or marks similarly indicated by an index or indexes adjusted intoposition at the proper point along the gauge. 'I'he gauge is thenremoved from this first cylinder and set in `position along anothercylinder. By then setting the rplates upon this latter cylinder so that`their registration. marks 16 come directly opposite the one or moreindexes already fixed upon the gauge, accurate plate registrationbetween succeeding cylindersis insured. Obviously indexes for anydesired number of plates may be set on one gauge, or a plurality ofgauges may be used simultaneously, for plates of different rows. i

By'the use ofa plurality of setting marks 16 on each plate, possiblevariations in the size of corresponding plates of different colors,that'is,`for different cylinders, will be made apparent, and

proper adjustment is made accordingly. This is a distinct advantage,since it often happens, in the process of preparing plates, particularlystereotype plates, that a plate of one color shrinks or expands morethan the corresponding plate of another color. In such case, if but onesetting mark were used on each plate, for example, near one edge of theplates, these register marks themselves might be in perfect register,but the other edges of the plates might be out of register, due to thedifferent shrinkage or expansion in the two plates. Where two registeror setting marks, or other plurality, are provided, at distinctly spacedpoints, the possible difference in shrinkage or expansion willimmediately be evident when the gauge is transferred to the nextcylinder. When the gauge indicates such difference, the plate on thesecond or other cylinder may be located so that its register marks comeequally distant from the indexes as set on the gauge, either inside oroutside of them, rather than being brought absolutely even when theindexes. Thus the entire difference between the two plates will not bethrown wholly on one side of the plate but will be distributed equallyacross the whole plate, minimizing the difference.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown anddescribed herein by way of example, its scope being pointed out in thefollowing claims:

I claim:

1. Plate setting means for rotary presses, cornprising, in combinationwith a press and its plate cylinders, guide members stationarily mountedadjacent the ends of said cylinders, each providing an arcuate guideformation concentric with its cylinder, an elongated flexible metalgauge having a graduated scale along it, a positioning foot for each endof the gauge, each foot having a concave under face formedconcentrically with the press cylinders, and being slidably receivablein said arcuate guide formations, at least one index variablypositionable along the gauge, and expansible tensioning means for saidgauge, between one end of said scale and the adjacent positioning footand adapted to retain the positioning feet in selected location in therespective guide formations.

2. Plate-locating means for rotary presses, comprising, in combinationwith a press and its plate cylinders, guide members adjacent the ends ofsaid cylinders, each providing a guide formation along an arc concentricwith the axis of its cylinder, an elongated gauge, a positioning footfor each end of the gauge, each` foot receivable in one of said guideformations, at least one index variably positionable along the gauge,and expansible tensioning means for said gauge at one end portionthereof and adapted to retain the positioning feet in selected locationin the respective guide formations.

3. Plate-locating means for rotary presses, comprising, in combinationwith a press and its plate cylinders, arcuate guide formations mountedabout and concentric with the axes of said cylinders, adjacent thecylinder ends, an elongated gauge having for each end a positioning footreceivable in the adjacent guide formation, each foot having arcuateportions for slidably supporting them in one of said guide formations,and expansible tensioning means intermediate the gauge feet adapted tohold the gauge in set position with respect to said guide formations.

4. Plate-locating means for rotary printing cylinders, and spring meansfor demountably retaining said supporting elements relative to saidformations.

5. A plate-locating gauge for rotary presses comprising an elongatedmember of a length at least that of the plate-receiving portions of thepress cylinders, positioning elements for the ends of said member,adapted for mounting at various points about a cylinder, at least oneindex adjustably positionable along said member, and resilienttensioning means at one end of said member, whereby the latter may beoperatively applied by locating its positioning element which is at theend opposite said tensioning means and holding it in said position bythe action of said tensioning means.

6. A plate-locating gauge for rotary presses comprising an elongatedgauge member having a positioning foot at one end, at least one index,

variably receivable along said member, and resilient means adjacent theother end of said gauge member to tension and hold it in operativeposition.

'7. A plate registering gauge for rotary presses comprising a fiexiblesteel tape, end supports therefor, an index variably receivable alongand upon the tape, and means to tension the tape in operative position.

ROBERT A. BROWN.

